Evaluation and Improvement of Urban Unsignalized Intersection Safety: A Case Study of Latakia City, Syria

Abstract

This paper assesses and compares the state of safety on traffic at major urban and unmarked traffic intersections in Latakia City, Syria. This paper is to shed light on the international safety foundations, the level of their application in the chosen local intersections, and to offer the concrete engineering and operational solutions to the traffic safety improvement and the level of congestion reduction, with references to the idea of the sustainable solutions such as solar- powered traffic lights. The approach consisted of embracing the existing safety standards, including the ones of the MUTCD, and conducting an in-depth field research in Latakia. Some major safety gaps were as follows: the absence of adequate sign maintenance, insufficient pedestrian amenities and inoperative electrical in-frastructure, which are some of the contributing factors to key operational and safety risks at major crossroads. Among the recommendations, there should be prompt signage repairs, enhancement of infrastructure (pedestrian tunnels, ramps), and introduction of solar-powered traffic control systems.